Sorpa in the kazakh manner

500 gram of mutton, 2.5-3 litres of water, half a tablespoon of salt, 4-5 baursaks. Meat is carefully washed in cold water, put in a pan, covered with boiling water and boiled on small fire for about 1-1.5 hours. When the water begins to boil, the scum and the surplus of fat should be removed. At the end of boiling salt is added. Meat’s readiness is simple to determine: if the fork easily pierces the meat, it is ready. The broth should be strained and then poured in a soup-plate or kese: meat and baursaks are added.

• Read and correct the following sentences:

1. The Kazakh people use only beef for sorpa.

2. Meat must be boiled on strong fire.

3. Meat boiled for 10-15 minutes.

4. Salt is added at the beginning of boiling.

5. The sorpa should be poured in a glass.

6. You must eat this dish with bread and butter.

Kuyrdak

800 g of mutton (or beef, horse-flesh, camel’s flesh, saiga’s flesh, wild goat’s flesh), 3 onions, 150 g of fat for frying, 250 g of broth, greens, salt, spices and sour cream to taste.

For garnish: 2 kg of potatoes, 150 g of green peas, 250 g of tomatoes, 250 g of carrots.

For marinade: a piala of 3% vinegar, 50 g of oil.

Meat is cut in pieces 30-40 g each and fried in hot fat with onion and pepper, salted to taste then laurel leaf and broth are added and the meat is stewed to readiness.

If kuyrdak is made of saiga’s or wild goat’s flesh the meat must be beforehand soaked in 3% vinegar with addition of a small quality of oil for 4-6 hours. As garnishes to kuyrdak has been boiled, fried or stewed with the meat, potatoes, boiled carrots, green peas and tomatoes can be served. The dish is strewed with greens to taste.

• Answer the questions:

1. Meat has been the most popular foodstuff in the Kazakh national cuisine, hasn’t it?

2. What is the sign of the festive table’s richness and diversity?

3. What sorts of meat is kuyrdak made of?

KARTA

For making one karta: 100g of karta, salt, green pepper or dill to taste. The thick part of the rectum is washed without removing fat, then carefully turned inside out so that the fat should be inside, washed once more and tied up on both sides. Karta can also be dried and smoked. To dry it karta is strewed with fine salt and kept in a cool place for 1-2 days, then dried up. Karta is smoked for 24 hours, then dried for 2-3 days. After washing it well karta is boiled for 2 hours on slow fire. Before serving the table it is cut in rings and decorated with green pepper or dill.

* * * * * *

The present-day entertainment has changed in some details but continues to observe the ancient laws of hospitality. And what is more, its boundaries have broadened: the present-day dastarkhan gathers not only Kazakhs but also numerous guests living in one big multinational family – Russians, Tartars, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Uigurs, Dungans, Koreans.

Having lived side by side the Kazakhs for many dozens of years, sharing bread, grief and joy with them the fraternal peoples exerted influence on the art of cookery, every day life and culture of the Kazakh people adopting simultaneously its best cultural and life traditions.

The present-day Kazakh cuisine includes not only Kazakh dishes but also dishes of Russian, Tatar, Uzbek, Uigur, Korean and other cuisines the Kazakh caught the fancy of. Therefore it is easily to note international features in the present-day Kazakh cooking side by side with pure national ones.

In present-day cuisine the set foodstuff of which food is made has considerably changed.

If during its century-old history the Kazakh people has accumulated much experience in processing and cooking meat and milk dishes, the present-day life has replenished this set by dishes made of vegetables, fruit, fish, sea products, as well as baked meal making and sweets.

Nevertheless meat has been and remains the most popular food-stuff in the Kazakh national cuisine.

• Find the following word combinations from the text:

братские народы, многонациональная семья, кулинарное мастерство, казахская кухня.

• Say true or false:

1. The present-day Kazakh cuisine includes only Kazakh dishes.

2. Meat has been and remains the most popular foodstuff in the Kazakh national cuisine.

3. Dastarkhan gathers not only Kazakhs but also numerous guests living in one big multinational family – Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Uigurs, Dungans, Koreans.

• What new things have you learnt from the text?